askjake

Poly on Pine

Rita asks:

We our putting pine log siding on our basement walls to look like the lodge look. Can we put poly on them after we put them up or before or what do you recommend to put on them

Jake's answer:

Rita,

Yes you can put poly on them.  I assume you are talking about a poly-urethane. Benjamin Moore makes a nice line of stains and sealers.  A waterborne sealer might be a little more easy to use, clean up, and have a lot less odor to deal with.  You can enhance the appearance of the wood by sealing it and it will be easier to clean over the years.  

Natural lighting under a porch or deck

Lea asks:

Jake,

I have a home with a full finished basement. My question is how would I put a front porch (I just have a stoop right now) with having basement windows. Do I use lattice to allow light? I have a family room below the living room and I have a bedroom below the upstairs bedroom. I only make $8.80 an hour so I will be doing what I can myself and would like any savings tips. Thank You

Jake's answer:

Lea,

When you build the front porch you will substantially reduce the amount of light you currently have streaming through those windows. Try placing some boards over the window wells to give you an idea of what it might be like.  

Also take into account if the windows serve any kind of emergency exit. A deck over the windows could really hinder egress, either in or out.  

I have seen glass blocks embedded in the deck flooring that is above the windows. Glass block is not that expensive. You will have to get a little creative on how to alter your floor framing to accept the glass block. Good luck!

Mystery drain

Question from Jeff: 

Hello Jake, I removed the old rusty drain grate (12"x12")in my basement floor and discovered an open hole with standing water (and drain flys and larve). Also, the hole is just lined with loose bricks and there seems to be some type of pipe with a ragged edge near the waterline. During heavy rains water will rise up into the basement. Can you tell me whats going on here and how I can cover this up. Thanks, Jeff 

Jake's answer: 

Jeff, It sounds like to me that this is an old sump pit without the sump pump. The pipe you see is most likely the end of the drain tile that is at the base of your foundation. It collects the water that rises in the wet season. You need to install a pump and pipe to handle the water when it rains. If you can’t do this type of job, call a foundation specialist in your area.

Sprucing up a floor drain

Question from Bruce: 

Jake, I recently built a house with a basement. I put in a floor drain in the basement bathroom. The drain was one of those cheap white square plastic drains that have about a 4" center piece that pops out so you can clean the drain. Now I have decided to tile the bathroom and wondering how do I finish around the drain and can I put in a better looking drain to blend into the tile better? 

Jake's answer:

Bruce, I googled decorative drain covers and didn’t really come up with anything that looks like it would work. You might try an architectural salvage yard and find an oversized grate and cut it down to size to fit. You could probably find something pretty cool that was used for something completely different but could be adapted for the floor drain. Most of the grates off the shelves are pretty straight forward and don’t offer too much in the way of design.

Leveling basement concrete

Question from Mel: 

I have a concrete floor that is low in the middle by 6 or 7 inches i want to level it and put down some type of a wood floor. There is not a lot of over head space. Cost is a factor.

Jake's answer: 

Mel, 

We have run into this same situation several times when finishing off a basement. 6 to 7" is a lot to level. I would start out by using a latex bonding agent on the existing concrete and then place a regular sack concrete mix and level the floor within 2" of level. Let this set up for 7 days before proceeding to the next step. To finish off the leveling, use a self-leveling mix over the new concrete. Check out quickcrete.com for some information about these types of products.

Holes in the foundation walls

Question:  Jake, I would like to utilize the space in my basement, but it was finished by drilling into the cinder block to attach furring strips to which paneling was hung. This was not such a good plan, as water has rotten the furring strips & I am left with holes drilled in everywhere. What can i do now, i don\'t get water in, since replacing gutters & downspouts, but i don\'t want the same thing to happen again over time. thanks

Jake's answer:  I'm sure the holes in the walls made for a great water conduit prior to having your gutters and downspouts replaced.  Improper gutters, downspouts and drainage away from the house are the main reasons any of us have damp basements.  If you keep these items properly maintained you shouldn't have any more water problems.  I say go for it - start that remodeling project.

Cost to finish a basement

Question:  We\'re looking to BASICALLY finish our basement. All we need is to put in the floor, the drywall walls, and a drop ceiling. It will not be used as a bedroom, we don\'t want a bathroom... just a nice little work area for me. How much (roughly) do you think this would cost to do? THANKS!

Jake's Answer:  In our area of the country, a basic basement finish starts at about $40 to $50 a square foot.  This includes plans, permit, wall framing, electrical, a heat/cool register, insulation, drywall, door, trim, painting, and flooring.  If you have a 15' x 20' room, that is 300 square feet, so you will be in the range of $12,000 to $15,000.  That is based upon hiring a contractor that is licensed, insured and provides proper follow up.  Yes, you can find it for less and for more, depending on the type of company or individual you hire.   

Building basement walls

I am planning on covering below surface basement 2x4 stud walls with paneling and interlocking stained pine wood. Do I \"have to\" insulate and vapor barrier these walls? I do not currently have any water or mold problem and the temperature is a constant 68 degrees and around 38% humidity. The temp is OK but I don\'t want to develop a mold or mildew problem. Thanks.

Jerry,

When we finish a basement, we always insulate the walls with kraft faced R-13 insulation.  The kraft paper, towards the warm side, will act as your vapor barrier.  In our area, the code requires this.  It's a good idea to hold your studs at least 1/2" off the foundation walls and leave a 1/2" space between the top wall plate  and the floor joists overhead.  This will allow for the basement floor to "float" freely without affecting the first floor joists.   Make sure you get a return air register in the newly finished space and make sure you have sufficient combustible air if you have a gas fired furnace. 

Insulating a basement

I live in the St Louis area and I\'m remodeling my basement. I\'m framing with 2x4s and 3 walls are outside poured concrete (the 4th internal). The basement is totally underground with no leaks or moisture problems. Do I need to insulate the outside walls? I an planning to use paneling on 2 of the walls and wainscoat pine on the 3rd. If not OK if I need to insulate what should I use? Thanks

Yes, you should insulate the newly framed walls that are at the exterior walls.  Use a R-13 batt type with paper facing.  Place the paper side on the warm side of the wall (interior).  The insulation will help keep the basement feeling warm on those cold winter days. 

Covering an old floor drain

My 80+ year old house has a big basement I am considering finishing. It already has a hard ceiling, plenty of headroom. Seems like I would need to put in dry wall and a new floor. Currently I have a de-humidifier running all the time (summer in St. Louis). I am thinking about having a professional install drainage tile and a sump pump. I have work on the gutters, so it doesn\'t actively leak anymore. Second, there is an open drain in the middle of the floor - how do close it or build over it? Is there a good book with that covers how to do this? Thanks!

I think the only question you have of me is how to cover an existing floor drain in the basement.  It sounds like you have the issue of water getting into the basement taken care of by improving your gutters.  It's a good idea to make sure your interior drainage and sump is working.  We have removed existing floor drains before.  If you remove it, make sure you install a floor drain somewhere in the basement.  The new location will not likely be the low point in your basement.  Be aware, that in the event you get water, you will most likely have to pump some of the water out.  If you don't know much about plumbing, you should have an experienced plumber install this floor drain.  This will include some floor cutting and concrete repair.  At the existing drain location, use some self leveling compound to fill the low spot level with the surrounding floor.  You can usually get this material at most home stores.